One of my favorite magazines, next to SUM Magazine, is the COMPUTER SHOPPER from Titusville, Florida. With an annual subscription rate of $15.00 and a monthly size of over 200 pages tabloid size, it has to be a great value. The SHOPPER is stuffed full of discount mail-order ads and 20 or so pages of classifieds. It is one publication that I read practically from cover to cover the articles by Stan Veit, Don Lancaster, Les Solomon and a host of lesser known writers who have fresh and interesting reviews and how-to articles for the general user as well as “survival columns” for the Timex, T1I-99/4, Sanyo, Tandy, Atari, and CP/M computers.
With the whole computer market seeming to be going to IBM and Commodore, it is great to find a publisher who recognizes the continuing needs of these other owners. The Timex column is written by Mark Fendrick, who I do not know, but who has attempted to inform CS readers of the great potential for their machines with articles on Spectrum ROMs, microdrives, new software, and the Portuguese disk drive system.
But even without the Timex would studiously read each issue because of the great bargains available in its pages which, alas, my bank account’ seldom can take advantage of…but that doesn’t stop me from wishing! Let me give you a few examples from the most recent issue (August 1985):
Thinking of moving up to a “big” computer but want a bargain price? Solvex Marketing is selling brand new Sanyo MBC 3000 computers with built-in monitor, detached keyboard, two disk drives, Wordstar, Calcstar, etc., and CP/M 2.2–all for an incredible $599 on page 32.
CP/M not big enough? Then perhaps the NCR PC1 with IBM compatibility, 256K, two disk drives, and MS-DOS 2.11 for $1295 from Computrade (page 88) is what you are looking for.
Anyone want a leading brand RGB monitor for $269? Thrifty Bits (page 94) has the 14″ Leading Edge RGB monitor with 16 color output and 80 column by 25 line text display ability.
Maybe you need a printer. How about an Okimate 20 with parallel interface for $199 (p. 134); a Comrex CR-IIE 20 cps daisy wheel printer for $266 (p. 135); a 3M Whisperwriter 200 thermal printer for $79.95 (p. 159)3 or even a Corona Laser Printer for $2699 (p. 16).
Still more “good deals”? An NEC 8201 portable computer (Radio Shack 100 look-alike) for $348 (p. 160) sounds good. How about an Epson QX 10 for $999 (p. 182). Have a thermal 80 column printer or typewriter? Here’s 8 1/2 x 11 thermal paper for $2.99 per package of 500 (p. 127).
I think this is enough to give you some idea of what all I can’t afford to buy but wish I could from Computer Shopper advertisers. I highly recommend everyone who loves computers to subscribe, or at least pick up a copy from your local magazine rack. I have found copies at B. Dalton’s, Walden’s, and Albertsons. Computer Shopper, P. O. Box F, Titusville, FL 32781. Subscriptions are $15/year.